Re: breast tissue fixation

From:

RSRICHMOND@aol.com

Stephen Slap describes Hacker's offering of >>JFC solution , a proprietary,
patented (sorry, John Kiernan) mixture of ethyl and isoproyl alcohols with a
long-chain hydrocarbon which dehydrates and clears the tissue
simultaneously.<< for processing fatty breast tissue.
The problem here isn't so much the trade-secret formula - we're learning to
live with more and more of this - but the lack of documentation that the
product will support immunochemical stains such as the hormone receptors and
HER2/neu. The latter is a particularly serious problem, because of the
rigidly defined protocols required to determine whether or not the antibody
directed against HER2/neu is to be used therapeutically. The not always
practical alternative would be to fix some of the tumor overnight in formalin
and do the tests on that block.
Bob Richmond
Samurai Pathologist
Knoxville TN